Schmoozing puts Gilbert on to a winner

Brad Gilbert describes his new charge Andy Murray as "one of the most talented young players on the tour". Surprising then to discover, having accepted an invitation to "check out which up-and-comers have caught Brad's eye" on the Future Stars section of the coach's website, that there is no mention of the Scottish teenager. Plenty of American, Russian and Belgian players, but no Andrew Murray.

Plainly the LTA's £500,000 cheque has helped draw Metallica fan Gilbert's attention to the Scot's potential. Gilbert's exact role in helping the LTA develop other young talent remains unclear, however, not to mention where cuts will be made elsewhere in the LTA to fund his salary. It also remains to be seen if his commitment to British tennis will be sufficient for him to abandon his busy corporate schedule.

According to bradgilberttennis.com the great man is available for bookings "to appear at your function, give a clinic or two or just 'schmooze' with your corporate types". Given that corporate schmoozing is about the only area in which British tennis excels, here's hoping he sticks to the game.

Curse of Northern crocks

Northern Rock should consider a name change to Northern Crock after its England injury curse struck again. A month after the bank withdrew advertisements urging Michael Owen not to come home injured from the World Cup it has now accounted for the England bowler Liam Plunkett. On the eve of today's second Test against Pakistan the company ran adverts in national newspapers featuring England cricketers' shirts, with Plunkett's among them. The Durham paceman was withdrawn from the squad for at least two Tests on Tuesday with a side injury.

Stretford's court delight

Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford and his Proactive Sports Group celebrated another victory in their drawn-out battle to represent the Manchester United forward yesterday. Rooney's former agent Peter McIntosh intended to sue Proactive for £15m for illegally inducing Rooney to sign, but yesterday in Manchester a county court judge declared that McIntosh's case had no prospect of success.

Cooper flies the flag

Bad news for those who would like to see an end to the plague of flags that breaks out every time England contest a major football tournament. The government has pledged to change legislation that in theory requires people flying flags from their homes to seek planning permission unless the flags are hung on a vertical pole. Yvette Cooper, the housing and planning minister, wants to end the "woefully out-of-date" and "ridiculous" regulations for good so that people can support their national teams without fear of prosecution.

Understanding Poll

Graham Poll has kept himself to himself since his three-card trick ended his participation in the World Cup, but he reappears in the latest edition of the whistlers' bible Refereeing Today. In an interview that sounds suspiciously as if it was conducted before the Australia v Croatia debacle, Poll looks forward to working with an all-English team of officials in Germany. "The level of understanding will prove invaluable to us," he says. "If one progresses we all progress, and likewise if one fails . . ." Precisely what Poll's assistants are thinking, one imagines.